Chiral separations by capillary electrophoresis using proteins as chiral selectors

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Separation Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Chiral separations are crucial in pharmaceuticals and biochemistry.
• Proteins serve as effective chiral selectors in capillary electrophoresis (CE).
• Two primary protein-based CE methods are affinity CE (ACE) and affinity capillary electrochromatography (ACEC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the advantages and disadvantages of ACEC and ACE for enantiomeric separations.
• To detail specific enantioseparation applications using protein-based CE methods.

Main Methods:

• Affinity capillary electrochromatography (ACEC) utilizing immobilized proteins (e.g., α(1)-acid glycoprotein, avidin) in packed columns.
• Affinity CE (ACE) employing proteins (e.g., penicillin G-acylase) dissolved in the running buffer.
• Comparison of the efficacy and limitations of ACEC and ACE for chiral resolution.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful enantioseparations using various protein-immobilized stationary phases in ACEC.
• Showcased effective chiral separations with soluble enzymes like penicillin G-acylase in ACE.
• Provided a comparative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of both ACEC and ACE approaches.

Conclusions:

• Protein-based CE methods, ACEC and ACE, are powerful tools for resolving enantiomeric mixtures.
• The choice between ACEC and ACE depends on the specific chiral analyte and desired separation characteristics.
• Immobilized and soluble proteins offer versatile platforms for advanced chiral chromatography.